[November 07, 2012]SPRINGFIELD -- A regiment of
northern Illinois soldiers marched through Kentucky and into the
history books when they helped slaves achieve freedom before the
Emancipation Proclamation had been issued. A new article on the
"slave stealing" regiment highlights the 92nd Illinois Infantry and
the Army's blurred role in dealing with escaped slaves at that time
in the Civil War.

The 92nd Illinois Infantry formed
in Stephenson, Ogle and Carroll counties in the fall of 1862, after
President Abraham Lincoln had announced his plans for emancipation
but before the proclamation was formally issued. That created a
murky situation for soldiers who encountered slaves trying to escape
from states like Kentucky, which never seceded.

The regiment's leader, Col. Smith D. Atkins, ultimately decided
his men would not return escaped slaves to their owners. When locals
tried to seize former slaves who were traveling with the regiment,
Atkins ordered his men to fight back if attacked.

"It is not necessary for Illinois soldiers to become
slave-hounds," Atkins declared.

In addition to the monthly feature stories,
www.illinoiscivilwar150.org includes a comprehensive calendar of
events related to the Civil War from across Illinois; a timeline of
Illinois and the Civil War with illustrations, images and documents;
downloadable PDFs of articles related to the Civil War; curriculum
materials for teachers; and suggestions for further reading.

The website represents the work of Save Illinois History and the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and is supported in part by a
grant from the Illinois Humanities Council.

The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency operates all state-owned
historic sites and memorials, as well as the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum. On the agency's list of Civil
War-related sites are the Ulysses S. Grant Home and the Elihu
Washburne House in Galena; the Stephen A. Douglas Tomb in Chicago;
the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington; the Metamora Courthouse; and
the Old State Capitol, Lincoln Tomb, and Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. For more
information, visit
www.illinoishistory.gov.